List of largest star clusters

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Omega Centauri, one of the largest star clusters. Omega Centauri by ESO.jpg
Omega Centauri, one of the largest star clusters.

Below is a list of the largest known star clusters , ordered by diameter in light years, above the size of 50 light years in diameter. This list includes globular clusters, open clusters, super star clusters, and other types.

Contents

List

List of largest known star clusters
Cluster nameDiameter (light-years)Type of clusterNotes
Terzan 7 316 [1] Globular cluster
Messier 54 306 [2]
NGC 339 238 [3]
Messier 3 226 [4]
Messier 11 (Wild Duck Cluster)190 [5] Open cluster
Messier 2 174.4 [6] Globular cluster
Omega Centauri 172 ± 12 [7] Largest globular cluster in the Milky Way. [8]
Messier 13 168 [9]
Messier 15 166 [10]
Palomar 5 152 [11]
Messier 75 126 [12]
47 Tucanae 120 [13]
Messier 68 106 [14]
Messier 22 100 ± 10 [15] One of the first star clusters ever discovered. [16]
Messier 14 100 [15]
Messier 62 98 [17]
Messier 55 96 [18]
NGC 265 94 [19] Open cluster
Messier 69 90 [20] Globular cluster
Messier 9 90 [21]
Messier 56 84 [22]
Messier 10 83.2 [23]
NGC 3201 80 [24]
Messier 107 79 [25]
Messier 46 75.6 [26] Open cluster
Messier 4 75 [27] Globular cluster Nearest globular cluster to the Earth. Also the first globular cluster known to have exoplanets (PSR B1620-26b)
Messier 12 74.4 [28]
Messier 70 68 [29]
NGC 290 66 [30] Open cluster
Messier 28 60 [31] Globular cluster
Messier 18 52.4 [32] Open cluster
The following notable star clusters are listed for the purpose of comparison.
MGC1 49 (half-light), 7,800 (tidal) [33] Globular cluster
Mayall II 42±1 (half-light), 526±25.4 (tidal) [34]
Pleiades 40.68 [35] Open cluster Nearest Messier Object to Earth and the easiest to see in the night sky.
RSGC2 (Stephenson 2)26.1 [36]
Alpha Persei cluster 22.8 [37]
Jewel Box 20 [38]
Hyades 17.6 [39] Nearest open cluster
Beehive Cluster (Praesepe)15 [40]
RSGC1 9.78 ± 1.96 [41]
Westerlund 1 (Ara Cluster)6.52 [42] Super Star Cluster/Open cluster

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scutum (constellation)</span> Small constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere

Scutum is a small constellation. Its name is Latin for shield, and it was originally named Scutum Sobiescianum by Johannes Hevelius in 1684. Located just south of the celestial equator, its four brightest stars form a narrow diamond shape. It is one of the 88 IAU designated constellations defined in 1922.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butterfly Cluster</span> Open cluster in Scorpius

The Butterfly Cluster is an open cluster of stars in the southern constellation of Scorpius. Its name derives from the resemblance of its shape to a butterfly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 10</span> Globular cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus

Messier 10 or M10 is a globular cluster of stars in the equatorial constellation of Ophiuchus. The object was discovered by the French astronomer Charles Messier on May 29, 1764, who cataloged it as number 10 in his catalogue and described it as a "nebula without stars". In 1774, German astronomer Johann Elert Bode likewise called it a "nebulous patch without stars; very pale". Using larger instrumentation, German-born astronomer William Herschel was able to resolve the cluster into its individual members. He described it as a "beautiful cluster of extremely compressed stars". William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse thought he could distinguish a dark lane through part of the cluster. The first to estimate the distance to the cluster was Harlow Shapley, although his derivation of 33,000 light years was much further than the modern value.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wild Duck Cluster</span> Open cluster in the constellation Scutum

The Wild Duck Cluster is an open cluster of stars in the constellation Scutum. It was discovered by Gottfried Kirch in 1681. Charles Messier included it in his catalogue of diffuse objects in 1764. Its popular name derives from the brighter stars forming a triangle which could resemble a flying flock of ducks. The cluster is located just to the east of the Scutum Star Cloud midpoint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 28</span> Globular cluster in the constellation of Sagittarius

Messier 28 or M28, also known as NGC 6626, is a globular cluster of stars in the center-west of Sagittarius. It was discovered by French astronomer Charles Messier in 1764. He briefly described it as a "nebula containing no star... round, seen with difficulty in 31⁄2-foot telescope; Diam 2′."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 54</span> Globular cluster in Sagittarius

Messier 54 is a globular cluster in the constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1778 and then included in his catalog of comet-like objects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 55</span> Globular cluster in the constellation Sagittarius

Messier 55 is a globular cluster in the south of the constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1752 while observing from what today is South Africa. Starting in 1754, Charles Messier made several attempts to find this object from Paris but its low declination meant from there it rises daily very little above the horizon, hampering observation. He observed and catalogued it in 1778. The cluster can be seen with 50 mm binoculars; resolving individual stars needs a medium-sized telescope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 56</span> Globular cluster in the constellation Lyra

Messier 56 is a globular cluster in the constellation Lyra. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1779. It is angularly found about midway between Albireo and Sulafat. In a good night sky it is tricky to find with large (50–80 mm) binoculars, appearing as a slightly fuzzy star. The cluster can be resolved using a telescope with an aperture of 8 in (20 cm) or larger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 62</span> Globular cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus

Messier 62 or M62, also known as NGC 6266 or the Flickering Globular Cluster, is a globular cluster of stars in the south of the equatorial constellation of Ophiuchus. It was discovered in 1771 by Charles Messier, then added to his catalogue eight years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 68</span> Globular cluster in the constellation Hydra

Messier 68 is a globular cluster found in the east south-east of Hydra, away from its precisely equatorial part. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1780. William Herschel described it as "a beautiful cluster of stars, extremely rich, and so compressed that most of the stars are blended together". His son John noted that it was "all clearly resolved into stars of 12th magnitude, very loose and ragged at the borders".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 69</span> Globular cluster in the constellation Sagittarius

Messier 69 or M69, also known NGC 6637, and NGC 6634, is a globular cluster in the southern constellation of Sagittarius. It can be found 2.5° to the northeast of the star Epsilon Sagittarii and is dimly visible in 50 mm aperture binoculars. The cluster was discovered by Charles Messier on August 31, 1780, the same night he discovered M70. At the time, he was searching for an object described by Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille in 1751–2 and thought he had rediscovered it, but it is unclear if Lacaille actually described M69.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 75</span> Globular cluster in the constellation Sagittarius

Messier 75 or M75, also known as NGC 6864, is a giant globular cluster of stars in the southern constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780 and included in Charles Messier's catalog of comet-like objects that same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 92</span> Globular cluster in the constellation Hercules

Messier 92 is a globular cluster of stars in the northern constellation of Hercules.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G Scorpii</span> Star in the constellation Scorpius

G Scorpii, also named Fuyue, is a giant star in the constellation of Scorpius. It has an apparent magnitude of +3.19. It is approximately 126 light-years from the Sun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 3201</span> Globular cluster in the constellation Vela

NGC 3201 is a low galactic latitude globular cluster in the southern constellation of Vela. It has a very low central concentration of stars. This cluster was discovered by James Dunlop on May 28, 1826 and listed in his 1827 catalogue. He described it as "a pretty large pretty bright round nebula, 4′ or 5′ diameter, very gradually condensed towards the centre, easily resolved into stars; the figure is rather irregular, and the stars are considerably scattered on the south".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 6522</span> Globular cluster in the constellation of Sagittarius

NGC 6522 is a globular cluster of stars in the southern constellation of Sagittarius. It was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on June 24, 1784. The cluster has an apparent visual magnitude of 8.3 and an angular diameter of 9.4′. It is located at a distance of 25.1 kly (7.7 kpc) from the Sun, and lies in the Milky Way's central bulge, about 2.0 kly (0.6 kpc) from the Galactic Center. The cluster is centered in a region of the sky known as Baade's Window. It is highly impacted by reddening due to interstellar dust and the view is heavily contaminated by field stars, making it more difficult identify members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">27 Vulpeculae</span> Star in the constellation Vulpecula

27 Vulpeculae is a single, blue-white star in the northern constellation of Vulpecula. It is a dim star, visible to the naked eye, with an apparent visual magnitude of 5.59. An annual parallax shift of 10.6692±0.0483 mas provides a distance estimate of about 306 light-years. It is moving closer with a heliocentric radial velocity of −22 km/s, and will make perihelion passage at a distance of around 119 ly (36.56 pc) in 3.75 million years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 6388</span> Globular cluster in the constellation Scorpius

NGC 6388 is a globular cluster of stars located in the southern constellation of Scorpius. The cluster was discovered by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop on May 13, 1826 using a 20 cm (9 in) reflector telescope. It was later determined to be a globular cluster by English astronomer John Herschel, who was able to resolve it into individual stars. NGC 6388 is located at a distance of approximately 35,600 light-years (10.90 kpc) from the Sun. Due to its apparent visual magnitude of +6.8, binoculars or a small telescope are required to view it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 6441</span> Globular cluster in Scorpius

NGC 6441, sometimes also known as the Silver Nugget Cluster, is a globular cluster in the southern constellation of Scorpius. It was discovered by the Scottish astronomer James Dunlop on May 13, 1826, who described it as "a small, well-defined rather bright nebula, about 20″ in diameter". The cluster is located 5 arc minutes east-northeast of the star G Scorpii, and is some 43,000 light-years from the Sun.

References

  1. ↑ "Terzan 7 @ seds" . Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  2. ↑ From trigonometry: radius = distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 153 ly.
  3. ↑ "Angular Size calculator". 1728.org. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  4. ↑ Brosche, P.; Odenkirchen, M.; Geffert, M. (March 1999). "Instantaneous and average tidal radii of globular clusters". New Astronomy. 4 (2): 133–139. Bibcode:1999NewA....4..133B. doi:10.1016/S1384-1076(99)00014-7.
  5. ↑ Santos, J. F. C. Jr.; et al. (October 2005), "Structure and stellar content analysis of the open cluster M 11 with 2MASS photometry", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 442 (1): 201–209, arXiv: astro-ph/0507216 , Bibcode:2005A&A...442..201S, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20053378, S2CID   15323948.
  6. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 87.3 ly. radius
  7. ↑ distance × sin(diameter_angle / 2), using distance of 5 kpc and angle 36.3′, = 86 ± 6 ly radius
  8. ↑ "Omega Centauri: The Largest Globular Cluster". Universe for Facts. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  9. ↑ distance × sin(diameter_angle / 2) = 84 ly radius
  10. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 88 ly radius
  11. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 76 ly. radius
  12. ↑ From trigonometry: radius = distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 67 ly.
  13. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 60 ly. radius
  14. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 53 ly. radius
  15. 1 2 From trigonometry: radius = distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 50 ly
  16. ↑ Monaco, L.; Pancino, E.; Ferraro, F. R.; Bellazzini, M. (2004). "Wide-field photometry of the Galactic globular cluster M22". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . 349 (4): 1278–1290. arXiv: astro-ph/0401392 . Bibcode:2004MNRAS.349.1278M. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07599.x . S2CID   18252633.
  17. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 49 ly. radius
  18. ↑ From trigonometry: radius = distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 17,600 × sin(19′/2) = 48.6 ly.
  19. ↑ Nayak, P. K.; et al. (September 2018). "Star clusters in the Magellanic Clouds. II. Age-dating, classification, and spatio-temporal distribution of the SMC clusters". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 616: 24. arXiv: 1804.00635 . Bibcode:2018A&A...616A.187N. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201732227. S2CID   55901741. A187.
  20. ↑ From trigonometry: distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 28,700 × 0.00157 = 45 ly. radius
  21. ↑ Boyles, J.; Lorimer, D. R.; Turk, P. J.; Mnatsakanov, R.; Lynch, R. S.; Ransom, S. M.; Freire, P. C.; Belczynski, K. (2011-11-20). "Young Radio Pulsars in Galactic Globular Clusters". The Astrophysical Journal. 742 (1): 51. arXiv: 1108.4402 . Bibcode:2011ApJ...742...51B. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/742/1/51. ISSN   0004-637X.
  22. ↑ From trigonometry: radius = distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 32,900 × sin(8.8′/2) = 42.1 ly.
  23. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 41.6 ly. radius
  24. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 40 ly. radius
  25. ↑ From trigonometry: distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 39.5 ly. radius
  26. ↑ Piskunov, A. E.; Schilbach, E.; Kharchenko, N. V.; Röser, S.; Scholz, R.-D. (June 2007). "Towards absolute scales for the radii and masses of open clusters". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 468 (1): 151–161. arXiv: astro-ph/0702517 . Bibcode:2007A&A...468..151P. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20077073. ISSN   0004-6361.
  27. ↑ Plotner, Tammy (February 22, 2016). "Messier 4 (M4) – The NGC 6121 Globular Cluster". Universe Today. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  28. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 37.2 ly radius
  29. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 34 ly. radius
  30. ↑ "Open Star Cluster NGC 290". ESA Science & Technology. April 18, 2006. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
  31. ↑ From trigonometry: radius = distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 30 ly
  32. ↑ Joshi, Y. C.; et al. (October 2016), "Study of open clusters within 1.8 kpc and understanding the Galactic structure", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 593: 13, arXiv: 1606.06425 , Bibcode:2016A&A...593A.116J, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201628944, S2CID   118610932, A116.
  33. ↑ MacKey, A. D; Ferguson, A. M. N; Irwin, M. J; Martin, N. F; Huxor, A. P; Tanvir, N. R; Chapman, S. C; Ibata, R. A; Lewis, G. F; McConnachie, A. W (2010). "Deep Gemini/GMOS imaging of an extremely isolated globular cluster in the Local Group". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 401 (1): 533–546. arXiv: 0909.1456 . Bibcode:2010MNRAS.401..533M. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15678.x . S2CID   53377049.
  34. ↑ Ma, J.; de Grijs, R.; Chen, D.; van den Bergh, S.; Fan, Z.; Wu, Z.; Wu, H.; Zhou, X.; Wu, J.; Jiang, Z.; Chen, J. (April 2007). "Structural parameters of Mayall II = G1 in M31". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . 376 (4): 1621–1629. arXiv: astro-ph/0702012 . Bibcode:2007MNRAS.376.1621M. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.11573.x . S2CID   3591548.
  35. ↑ Danilov, Vladimir M.; Seleznev, Anton F. (October 2020). "On the Motion of Stars in the Pleiades according to Gaia DR2 Data". Astrophysical Bulletin. 75 (4): 407–424. arXiv: 2012.15289 . Bibcode:2020AstBu..75..407D. doi:10.1134/S1990341320040045. ISSN   1990-3413.
  36. ↑ Davies, B.; Figer, D. F.; Kudritzki, R. P.; MacKenty, J.; Najarro, F.; Herrero, A. (2007). "A Massive Cluster of Red Supergiants at the Base of the Scutum-Crux Arm". The Astrophysical Journal. 671 (1): 781–801. arXiv: 0708.0821 . Bibcode:2007ApJ...671..781D. doi:10.1086/522224. S2CID   1447781.
  37. ↑ Lodieu, N.; Pérez-Garrido, A.; Smart, R. L.; Silvotti, R. (2019-08-01). "A 5D view of the α Per, Pleiades, and Praesepe clusters". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 628: A66. arXiv: 1906.03924 . Bibcode:2019A&A...628A..66L. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201935533. ISSN   0004-6361.
  38. ↑ "Jewel Box Cluster". constellation-guide.com. January 31, 2015.
  39. ↑ Perryman, M. A. C.; Brown, A. G. A.; Lebreton, Y.; Gomez, A.; Turon, C.; de Strobel, G. Cayrel; Mermilliod, J. C.; Robichon, N.; Kovalevsky, J. (1998), "The Hyades: distance, structure, dynamics, and age", Astron. Astrophys., 331: 81, arXiv: astro-ph/9707253 , Bibcode:1998A&A...331...81P
  40. ↑ "The Beehive Cluster". BBC Sky at Night Magazine. July 19, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  41. ↑ Davies, B.; Figer, D. F.; Law, C. J.; Kudritzki, R. P.; Najarro, F.; Herrero, A.; MacKenty, J. W. (2008). "The Cool Supergiant Population of the Massive Young Star Cluster RSGC1". The Astrophysical Journal . 676 (2): 1016–1028. arXiv: 0711.4757 . Bibcode:2008ApJ...676.1016D. doi: 10.1086/527350 . ISSN   0004-637X. S2CID   15639297.
  42. ↑ Portegies Zwart, Simon F.; McMillan, Stephen L.W.; Gieles, Mark (2010). "Young Massive Star Clusters". Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics. 48: 431–493. arXiv: 1002.1961 . Bibcode:2010ARA&A..48..431P. doi:10.1146/annurev-astro-081309-130834. S2CID   119207843.
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